| SECOND LEG VICTORY FOR ABN AMRO ONE |
| Saturday, 21 January 2006 |
After an epic battle over much of the 6,100 miles of this second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, ABN AMRO ONE sailed into Melbourne to a fantastic welcome claiming victory and cementing their place at the top of the overall leader board. After a tense few days that saw winds diminish to less than 1 knot as they approached Port Philip Bay, the race leaders, led by skipper Mike Sanderson breathed a sigh of relief as they were welcomed ashore to a hearty Australian reception.
Mike Sanderson commented “We always knew this leg was going to be tough but I don’t think any of us quite expected the rollercoaster ride of the last few weeks. I can’t quite say how relieved I am to be here in Melbourne – I am stoked for the crew and I am stoked for the whole of TEAM ABN AMRO. We have an awesome team who have all played a massive part in this victory. The boys on ABN AMRO TWO have done a fantastic job and I am looking forward to having a beer with them when they arrive in a few hours. For now, I am going to enjoy being on dry land with the win under our belt and look forward to a hot shower.”
It has been a text book leg for ABN AMRO ONE, who arrived into Melbourne at 20.08 local time after18 days, 22 hours, 8 minutes and 40 seconds at sea. Having left Cape Town on January 2nd the boat has travelled 6,100 miles through some of the most treacherous seas on the planet. The notorious Southern Ocean has taken its toll on much of the fleet, forcing Ericsson to withdraw from the leg and causing substantial damage to many of the other teams. Despite minor damage to ABN AMRO ONE at the start, caused by a collision with movistar, and a small fire on board ABN AMRO TWO, both Juan Kouyoumdjian designed boats seem to have emerged from the leg relatively unscathed.
The victory sees ABN AMRO ONE collect a maximum 14 points for the leg, taking their total tally to 29 points overall, 5 points ahead of ABN AMRO TWO and 13.5 clear of predicted third place finishers movistar and Brasil 1 (all positions based on current standings).
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